In the treatment of oil and gas wells by fracturing, a frac fluid is applied to an underground formation under sufficient pressure to form fractures in the formation, and thus improve flow of oil and gas from the formation into a well. It is desirable to retain the frac fluid close to the well bore and for this reason the frac fluids are made as gels and then pumped into the ground. The chemicals used to gel the frac fluids contain considerable phosphate and metal concentration. Upon completion of the fracturing treatment, pressure is released, the frac fluid breaks and the broken frac fluid is produced from the well along with reservoir fluid.
When the well is produced, the well production fluid is delivered to a refinery for refining into various hydrocarbon fluids. In the refining process, the phosphates have been found to cause contamination and plugging of the refinery equipment. It has thus been found necessary either to remove the phosphates from the chemicals used to gel the frac fluid or remove them in the refinery itself. Customers of Trysol Canada Ltd. have requested a solution to the problem of removing phosphates from hydrocarbon streams. So far as the applicant is aware, the producers of the hydrocarbons have been unable to provide a satisfactory solution.